Palestinian activists set up protest camp

Palestinian activists have set up a camp on a hill top on the outskirts of
Jerusalem to protest against the route of a planned new stretch of Israel's
separation barrier, which villagers say will cut them off from fertile
farmland.

Palestinian activists walk past a flag and tents in the West Bank village of Beit IksaPhoto: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images

Residents from the village of Beit Iksa established the camp, called Qaryet al-Karameh [Village of Dignity] just days after Israeli security forces dismantled a similar encampment in an area of the West Bank called E1, where Benjamin Netanyahu's government has announced plans to build a settlement.

Around 80 activists are staying in four tents pitched on a spot near Beit Iksa that is flanked by two Jewish settlements, Ramot and Mevaseret Zion. Bricklayers had started work on a makeshift mosque but later told Palestinian media that the Israeli army had ordered them to stop.

Mohammed al-Aloul, a central committee member of the Palestinian Fatah party, said the camp had the blessing of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, and Salam Fayyad, his prime minister who have called for "popular resistance" against Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

"For sure, our brothers are aware of this and popular resistance has been adopted as a strategy by the Palestinian leadership. This is part of Abu Mazen's [Mr Abbas] strategy," he said.

Protesters said the Israeli army planned to confiscate around 115 acres of land near Beit Iksa, on the north western outskirts of Jerusalem, to build the latest section of the barrier, which Israel says is intended to stop the infiltration of suicide bombers. Once built, the barrier would separate villagers from another 300 acres, they said.

Separately, Israeli forces arrested 14 people near Hebron on Saturday after farmers and activists gathered at the village of al-Qawawis to protest against a plan to confiscate an area of farmland called Um Al-Arayes.